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Wednesday, September 3, 2014

ISIS reportedly executes Steven Sotloff (video, photos)

The second video has the same details
as the James Foley execution, and doesn’t appear to have been shot on
the same date… fears that British aid worker David Cawthorne Haines is
to be next
An Islamic State video circulating on the internet purports to show
the beheading of U.S. journalist Steven Sotloff. The video – lasting
2.46 minutes – is the exact replica of the James Foley decapitation. The
video is titled “A Second Message to America” and is set in the eerily
calm desert.

The introductory scene shows a clip from U.S. President Barack
Obama’s speech after Foley’s death stating that the U.S. would be
“relentless” in its pursuit of terrorism. The video then homes in on
Sotloff, wearing the same Guadanamo Bay-styled orange jumpsuit that
Foley had worn. The setting appears the same as in the first video and
the man dubbed “John” – believed to be former rapper 24-year-old
Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary – stands above Sotloff holding a knife.

Sotloff licks his lips and says a message that appears to have been dictated by his captors:

I’m sure you know exactly who I am right now and why I am
appearing before you and now it’s time for my message. Obama, your
foreign policy of intervention in Iraq was supposed to be for the
preservation of American lives and interests, so why is it that I’m
paying the price of your interference with my life? Am I not an American
citizen? You’ve spent billions of U.S. taxpayers dollars and we’ve lost
thousands of our troops in the previous fighting against the Islamic
State.

So where’s the American people’s interest in reigniting this war?
From what little I know about foreign policy, I remember a time you
could not win an election without promising to bring our troops back
home from Iraq and Afghanistan and close down Guantanamo.Here you are
now, Obama, nearing the end of your term, and having achieved none of
the above, and deceivingly marching us, the American people, into
blazing fire.

A surprise turn came when the executioner, face also covered in
black, openly mocked Obama and claimed he was the same person who
beheaded Foley.

I’m back, Obama, and I’m back because of your arrogant foreign policy towards the Islamic State.
Because of your insistence on continuing your bombings and [garbled] on
Mosul Dam, despite our serious warnings.Just as your missiles continue
to strike our people, our knife will continue to strike the necks of
your people. We take this opportunity to warn those governments that
enter this evil alliance of America against the Islamic State to back
off and leave our people alone.

The scene fades out when the executioner’s knife reaches Sotloff’s
neck and reappears with his head on his stomach. Next, the video shows a
scene with British aid worker David Cawthorne Haines wearing the same
orange jumpsuit as Sotloff and Foley before him. Haines is a former
British soldier who had left the military and worked for a string of
human aid organizations.

British aid worker David Cawthorne Haines

UK Prime Minister David Cameron said he would chair a meeting with the Cobra emergency committee meeting on Wednesday.

Was the video pretaped?
In the second video, the hair on Sotloff’s hair seems slightly longer
and he appears unshaven, showing that the video wasn’t taped at the
same time as the Foley execution. This time the executioner’s voice
seems muffled but he appears to be the same executioner of the first
video.

Steven Sotloff at the end of the video showing James Foley’s execution

A forensic analysis of the Foley execution suggested that the
execution may have been staged with the actual murder taking place
off-camera. The international forensic science company that worked with
police forces across Britain suggested camera trickery and slick
post-production technique. Forensic analysts told The Tims that no blood
can be seen, even though the knife is drawn across the neck area at
least six times. “After enhancements, the knife can be seen to be drawn
across the upper neck at least six times, with no blood evidence to the
point the picture fades to black,” the analysis said.

Sounds allegedly made by Foley do not appear consistent with what may
be expected in an ironic twist of fate bearing in mind that the word
for recorded sound effects after the shooting of a movie is “foley”.

The mother’s plea made days prior to the execution
The video comes soon after Shirley Sotloff’s plea for her son’s safe return.